Hanger bar for recessed luminaires with integral nail

ABSTRACT

A hanger bar assembly for a recessed luminaire is disclosed. The hanger bar assembly includes a first hanger bar member having a first attachment structure disposed on an end thereof, and a second hanger bar member having a second attachment structure disposed on an end thereof, the second hanger bar member being adjacent to the first hanger bar member. The first and the second attachment structures each include a first wall having a first fastener aperture and a second wall having a second fastener aperture, the first and second fastener apertures being formed about a common central longitudinal axis.

This application is a continuation of and claims priority to U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 13/559,991, filed Jul. 27, 2012, titled “Hanger BarFor Recessed Luminaires with Integral Nail,” which is a continuation ofU.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/769,275 filed Apr. 28, 2010, titled“Hanger Bar For Recessed Luminaires with Integral Nail,” which is acontinuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/122,945 filed May19, 2008, titled “HANGER BAR FOR RECESSED LUMINAIRES WITH INTEGRALNAIL,” which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.11/090,654 filed Mar. 25, 2005, titled, “HANGAR BAR FOR RECESSEDLUMINAIRES WITH INTEGRAL NAIL,” which claims priority to U.S.Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/556,251 titled, “IMPROVEDHANGAR BAR ASSEMBLY FOR RECESSED LUMINAIRES,” filed on Mar. 25, 2004,the entire contents of each of the foregoing applications are herebyincorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This disclosure generally relates to support brackets on an extensiblecolumn mounted between two surfaces such as ceiling attachment fittings,and, more particularly, to hanger bar assemblies for recessedluminaires.

BACKGROUND

The “INESA Lighting Handbook” published by the Illuminating EngineeringSociety of North America, is incorporated by reference here in itsentirety. As discussed in chapter seven of that handbook, a “luminaire”is a device for producing, controlling, and distributing light. It istypically a complete lighting unit consisting of one or more lamps,sockets for positioning and protecting the lamps and for connecting thelamps to a supply of electric power, optical devices for distributingthe light, and mechanical components for supporting or attaching theluminaire. Luminaires are also sometimes referred to as “lightfixtures.”

Luminaires are usually classified by their application, such asresidential, commercial, or industrial. However, a particular luminairecan often be used in more than one application, depending upon itsperformance characteristics. For example, recessed downlights are usedin both commercial and residential applications where they are typicallymounted behind a ceiling wall with an opening to produce illuminance onthe floor or workplace below.

Various support systems have been employed to carry recessed luminairesin buildings and other structures. For example, recessed fixtures areoften suspended between joists, or other parallel support structures, ona pair of “hanger bars” or “bar hangers” extending between the joists.Similar hanger bar arrangements are used to suspend recessed downlightsbetween the rails in a suspended, tile ceiling.

These conventional hanger bars are often formed in one-piece with afixed length so as to provide adequate structural rigidity at arelatively low cost. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,505,419 to Gabrius(assigned at issuance to Juno Lighting) is incorporated by referencehere in its entirety and discloses a one-piece bar hanger having astiffening rib that extends along substantially the entire length of thebar hanger. In order to change its length, the bar must be broken alonga single score line. Since the length of the hanger bar cannot bevariably adjusted, its use is often limited to joists, or othersupports, having a standard and consistent spacing.

Hanger bars have also been devised with an adjustable two-piececonfiguration. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,029,794 to Wolfe (assignedat issuance to Prescolite) is incorporated by reference here anddiscloses a pair of bar hanger elements that are nested in a slidablerelationship relative to each other. Each bar hanger element isidentical in construction with an elongated slot and two retainingprojections.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,723,747 to Karp et al. (assigned at issuance to CapriLighting) is also incorporated by reference here and discloses atwo-piece bar hanger with an elongated slot as well as a longitudinallyextended “dome,” or projection, to facilitate nesting. One of the hangerbar elements has an arrow-shaped retaining projection while the otherhanger bar element has a foot-like retaining projection that is receivedwithin the slot.

As with single-piece hanger bars, two-piece hanger bars may be trimmedfor use with smaller joist spacings. However, these hanger barassemblies must generally be disassembled prior to altering theirlength. Furthermore, while such two-piece arrangements permitinstallation between supports or joists of various spacings, theygenerally suffer from a lack of stability that fails to provide adequatesupport for the suspended luminaire, especially when the hanger isinstalled in its fully-extended, or nearly fully-extended, position.

In this regard, U.S. Pat. No. 6,076,788 to Akiyama (assigned at issuanceto Cooper Industries) is incorporated by reference here and discloses ahanger bar assembly with a first bar hanger having a plurality oflongitudinal slots, each separated by a reinforcing formation. A secondhanger bar member having a plurality of spaced retaining projections isinterfitted with the first hanger bar member. At least one of theretaining projections engages at least one of the slots in order tocouple the hanger bar members as they are extended longitudinally.

Each of the Akiyama hanger bar members may also include a score line forallowing a portion of the hanger bar member to be removed in order toreduce the overall length of the hanger bar assembly. Although suchhanger bar assemblies generally provide adequate support in theirfully-extended position, the hanger bar members must be separated inorder to change their length by breaking each member along its scoreline. Furthermore, such conventional hanger bars can generally be usedwith only one particular type of ceiling configuration.

SUMMARY

These and other drawbacks of such conventional technologies areaddressed here by providing a luminaire, such as a recessed downlight,with a hanger bar assembly. For example, the hanger bar assembly mayinclude a first hanger bar member having a first attachment structuredisposed on an end thereof and a second hanger bar member including asecond attachment structure disposed on an end thereof, the secondhanger bar member being adjacent to the first hanger bar member. Thefirst and the second attachment structures each include a first wallhaving a first fastener aperture and a second wall having a secondfastener aperture, the first and second fastener apertures being formedabout a common central longitudinal axis.

The hanger bar assembly may also include a first fastener and a secondfastener, possibly nails, each of the first and second fasteners beingmaintained in one of the first fastener apertures by a friction fit.Also, the first hanger bar member slidably engages the second hanger barmember, and the first wall and the second wall of both the first andsecond attachment structures are parallel.

Other embodiments of the hanger bar assembly may include an elongatedslot on the first hanger bar member and at least two retainingprojections disposed on the second hanger bar member, the retainingprojections extending into the elongated slot. Also, at least one bridgespans the elongated slot to form a first slot portion and a second slotportion, wherein adjacent retaining projections are separated by adistance that is greater than the width of the bridge.

Yet another embodiment may include a second bridge disposed on aproximal end of the first hanger bar and spanning an end of theelongated slot, wherein the retaining projections slide beneath thesecond bridge and out of the elongated slot. The first and secondattachment structures are configured to allow the first and secondhanger bar members to slidably extend therebeyond, respectively.

Other embodiments may include at least a first stub extending betweenthe first wall and the second wall of the first attachment structure,and a second stub extending between the first wall and the second wallof the second attachment structure. The first and second stubs arearranged and configured to maintain separation between their respectivefirst and second walls. The first and the second stubs each extend fromthe respective first wall and toward the respective second wall.

Yet another embodiment of a hanger bar assembly includes a firstmounting flange and a second mounting flange, each extending outwardlyfrom a bottom edge of the second wall of one of the first attachmentstructure and the second attachment structure. The first and the secondmounting flanges are perpendicular to the respective second wall and afirst mounting slot is formed in the first mounting flange and a secondmounting slot is formed in the second mounting flange.

Another embodiment of the hanger bar assembly includes a pair ofmounting tabs, each mounting tab extending downwardly from a bottom edgeof a respective first wall such that a gap is formed by the mounting taband a portion of the respective first wall. Each gap is configured toslidably receive a portion of a support structure, preferably thesupport structure is a T-grid support for use with a suspended ceiling.

Yet another embodiment of this technology offers a luminaire with meansfor providing illumination. The illumination means is supported by firstand second hanger bar members where the first hanger bar member has anelongated slot and the second hanger bar includes means for retainingthe second hanger bar member adjacent the first hanger bar member. Themeans for retaining extend into the elongated slot and slidably engagethe first hanger bar member. The first and second hanger bar membersfurther include means for attaching the first and the second hanger barmembers to a respective support structure, the attaching means beingdisposed on a proximal end of each of the first and second hanger barmembers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Various aspects of the invention will now be described with reference tothe following figures (“FIGs.”) in which the same reference numerals areused to designate corresponding parts throughout each of the severalviews.

FIG. 1 is a bottom view of a recessed luminaire installation includingtwo hanger bar assemblies.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of a hanger bar assembly in FIG. 1 where thetop plane corresponds to front plane of FIG. 1.

FIG. 2A is a detailed view of the score line configuration shown in FIG.2.

FIG. 3A is an enlarged front view of an end portion of the hanger barsystem of FIG. 2.

FIG. 3B is an enlarged rear view of an end portion of the hanger barsystem of FIG. 2.

FIG. 3C is an enlarged side view of an end portion of the hanger barsystem of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an assembled view of the hanger bar assembly of FIG. 2connected to a plaster plate and arranged in a fully-extendedconfiguration where the side plane corresponds to the top plane of FIG.2.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of an end portion of the hanger bar system ofFIG. 4, arranged in a partially-extended configuration.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged rear view of the hanger bar assembly of FIG. 5arranged in a shorter configuration than FIG. 5.

FIG. 7A is a sequential view of the hanger bar assembly of FIG. 6arranged in a shorter configuration than FIG. 6.

FIG. 7B is a rear view of the hanger bar assembly of FIG. 7A arranged inthe same configuration as FIG. 7A.

FIG. 8 is an oblique view of the hanger bar system as shown in FIG. 4,in a retracted position.

FIG. 9 is a side view of the hanger bar assembly shown in FIG. 4.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 10-10 in FIG. 9.

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 11-11 in FIG. 9.

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 12-12 in FIG. 9.

FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 13-13 in FIG. 9.

FIG. 14 is a partial sectional view of a securing arrangement for ahanger bar system constructed according to the invention.

FIG. 15 is a partial perspective view of the hanger bar system of FIG.2, mounted to a support member for a suspended ceiling.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 illustrates a typical installation for a recessed luminaire 100including a pair of spaced hanger bar assemblies 102. Although arecessed downlight is illustrated in FIG. 1, the hanger bar assembliesmay be used with a variety of other recessed and non-recessedluminaires, and/or other devices. The hanger bar assemblies 102 arepreferably attached at each end to horizontal parallel support members,such as the joists 104 shown in FIG. 1, suspended ceiling T-grids 105shown in FIG. 15, and/or steel framing. However, they may also beattached to a variety of other support members that are neitherhorizontal or parallel.

The hanger bar assemblies 102 support what is broadly referred to hereas a suspended member 106. In FIG. 1, the illustrated suspended memberincludes a housing or “can” 108 that rests on a plaster plate or “frame”110. The plaster plate 110 includes attachment tabs 112 that attach theplaster plate 110 to the hanger bar assemblies 102. The attachment tabs112 may also help to secure the individual hanger bar members of thehanger bar assembly 102 adjacent to each other as discussed below.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, each hanger bar assembly 102 includes a firsthanger bar member 120 and a second hanger bar member 160. The firsthanger bar member 120 has a first end 122 with chamfered corners 126.For example, the corners can be chamfered at a 45 degree angle relativeto the longitudinal direction. However, a variety of other edgefinishing techniques and/or surface preparations may also be used.

The first hanger bar member 120 includes an elongated slot 130 which isspanned by a first reinforcing bridge 140 to form a first slot portion131 and a second slot portion 133. In its preferred form, the first slotportion 131 of the elongated slot 130 has a first width 132 near itsfirst end 122 that extends along a substantial portion of its length.The elongated slot 130 may also include a second width 134 at the otherend, which is greater than the first width 132. As shown in FIG. 2, thesecond width 134 of the first slot portion 131 is preferably provided inthe area of the first reinforcing bridge 140.

An angled transitional surface 136 (best illustrated in FIG. 9) connectsthe first width 132 with the second width 134. For example, the angledsurface 136 can be disposed at a 45 degree angle relative to thelongitudinal direction as shown in FIG. 9. However, a variety of otherangles and/or curves may be used to form the transitional surface 136.

Any number of score lines 138 may be formed across the width of thefirst hanger bar member 120. The precise form and dimensions of thescore lines 138 can vary widely. However, in the example illustratedhere, the score lines 138 are straight lines and are approximately 0.02inches deep. In the event that it becomes necessary to fit betweenrelatively narrowly spaced support members, the first hanger bar member120 can be broken along the score lines 138 to shorten its length. Note,multiple first score lines 138 can be provided on the first hanger barmember 120. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 2 the score lines may bespaced to account for standard support structure spacings at 1 inch, 4inches, and 5 inches from the end of the end 122. Although the scorelines 138 are illustrated here as extending across the entire width ofthe hanger bar member 102, they may alternatively extend only part wayacross the width of the hanger bar member.

Furthermore, as shown in the score line detail of FIG. 2 and FIG. 2A,one or more of the score lines 170 and/or 138 may be arranged withparallel scores on the top and bottom surfaces of the hanger bar formember 120. In the illustrated example, the score line 170 is spaced bya dimension A of about 0.036 inches and include a notch or radius with adimension B of about 0.016 inches. It has been found that thesedimensions provide a hanger bar with sufficient strength without havingto provide a break aperture or other hole through the score line such asthe score line 170 detailed in the FIGs.

A second reinforcing bridge 142 reaches from one end of the second slotportion 133 to a second end 124 of the first hanger bar member 120. Thesecond slot portion 133 also includes first width 132, which extendsalong a substantial portion of the longitudinal dimension of the slotportion 133, and wider a second width 134. The second width 134 isprovided at both ends of the second slot portion 133 which may alsoinclude a transition sections similar to transition section 134 in theslot portion 131.

Also provided at the second ends 124 and 161 of the first and secondhanger bar members 120 and 160 are attachment structures 144 forsecuring the hanger bar members to a support, such as a wooden joist 104(FIG. 1), ceiling T-grid 105 (FIG. 15), and/or steel framing. Theattachment structures 144 may be integrally formed with the first hangerbar member 120, as illustrated here, or they may be separately formedand subsequently attached to the second end 124.

Referring now to FIGS. 3A-3C, the attachment structures 144 include afirst wall 146 and a second wall 148 that are parallel to one anotherand perpendicular to the respective hanger bar member (as shown, secondhanger bar member 160). The first wall 146 and second wall 148 areconfigured such that the second ends 124 and 164 of the opposing hangerbar member 120 and 160, respectively, can slide beyond the attachmentstructures 144 when the hanger bar assembly 102 is in a retractedposition (FIG. 8).

As best shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the second wall 148 includes afastener aperture 141 formed therein and one or more brace stubs 149that extend inwardly toward the first wall 146 from the lower edge ofthe second wall 148. Preferably, the distal ends of the brace stubs 149are received in stub apertures 147 that are formed in the first wall146. The brace stubs 149 are configured to maintain desired spacingbetween the first wall 146 and second wall 148 when driving fastenersinto support members, such as wooden joists 104 (FIG. 1), as discussedhereafter. Preferably, the fastener aperture 141 is configured such thata friction fit is maintained on a fastener 153 (FIG. 3C) positionedtherein. As such, installation of the hanger bar assembly 102 does notrequire that the fastener 153 be held in place by the person performinginstallation. Note, additional apertures 161 are provided on theattachment structure 144 to permit various placement of fasteners 153depending upon the mounting requirements.

As shown in FIG. 3B, the first wall 148 includes an aperture 141 a thatcorresponds to the fastener aperture 141 and a mounting flange 152 thatdepends outwardly from the lower edge of the first wall 146, such thatthe first wall 146 and the mounting flange 152 are substantiallyperpendicular. As previously noted, the fastener aperture 141 maintainsa friction fit with the fastener 153. The corresponding aperture 141 ahas a diameter that is slightly larger than the diameter of the fastener153, thereby allowing unimpeded passage of the fastener 153. As well,the corresponding aperture 141 a includes a lip which depends inwardlytoward the second wall 148. As best seen in FIG. 3C, the inwardlydepending lip of the corresponding aperture 141 a is configured to guidethe tip of the fastener 153 as it is driven through the correspondingaperture 141 a and into the adjacent support member.

As best seen in FIG. 1, when mounting the first and second hanger barmembers 120 and 160 to a support member such as a joist 104, theattachment structure 144 is positioned adjacent the joist 104 such thatthe first wall 146 and mounting flange 152 are positioned adjacent theside surface and bottom surface of the joist 104, respectively. Once theattachment structure 144 is placed in a desired position relative to thejoist 104, a fastener 153, such as a screw, nail, etc., is driventhrough the fastener aperture 141 and corresponding aperture 141 a intothe side surface of the joist 104. As previously noted, the fastener 153is preferably maintained in the fastener aperture 141 so that theindividual installing the hanger bar assembly 102 need not maintain thefastener 153 in position during installation. For example, asillustrated in the FIGs., the fastener 153 may be a nail with lands andgrooves arranged near the end of the nail for holding it in the aperture141. Fully or partially threaded screws, bolts, posts, and/or otherridged fasteners may also be used. Installation is also possible bydriving a fastener through any of the various apertures 161 located onthe attachment structure 144.

Besides driving a fastener 153 into the side surface of the joist 104,an individual can select to drive an optional fastener (see FIG. 1)through a slot 154 formed in the mounting flange 152 and into the bottomsurface of the joist 104. By partially driving the optional fastenerthrough the slot 154, the individual can now slide the attachmentstructure 144 longitudinally along the joist 104 over the length of theslot 154. As such, the attachment structure 144 can be manipulated untilthe desired position is found relative to the joist 104, at which pointin time the optional fastener is fully driven into the joist 104 suchthat the attachment structure 144 and associated hanger bar member aremaintained in the desired position. The individual may then installadditional fasteners through the fastener aperture 141 and/or additionalapertures 161 to further secure the hanger bar assembly 102 to the joist104.

As best shown in FIG. 3C, the second wall 148 includes a mounting tab156 extending downwardly from its lower edge. The lower portion of thefirst wall 146 and the mounting tab 156 form a gap 155 that isconfigured to receive the upper rail 105 a of a standard suspendedceiling T-grid 105, as shown in FIG. 15. As well, opposing catches 158and 158 a are formed on the lower edge of the mounting tab 156 and thefirst wall 146, respectively, such that the attachment structure 144positively engages the upper rail 105 a of the T-grid 105. Because thebrace stubs 149 of the second wall 148 engage the stub apertures 147 ofthe first wall 146, the brace stubs 149 form a solid platform forresting on the upper surface of the rail 105 a. The attachment structure144 is secured relative to the T-grid 105 by driving a fastener 153A,(FIG. 15) preferably a metal screw, through the desired aperture 161that is positioned adjacent the rail 105 a of the T-grid 105.

A second hanger bar member 160 nests with the first hanger bar member120 and includes a first end 162 with chamfered corners 164 similar tothe chamfered corners 126 of the first hanger bar member 120.Preferably, first, second, and third retaining projections 166, 167, and168 are provided near the first end 162 of the second hanger bar member160. The retaining projections 166, 167 and 168 may be cut from thesurface of the second hanger bar member 160 and unfolded to provide theform illustrated in FIG. 2. Alternatively, the retaining projections166, 167 and 168 may be separately formed then attached to the surfaceof the second hanger bar member 160. Note, alternate embodiments caninclude either fewer than, or more than, three retaining projections.

The retaining projections 166, 167, and 168 are received within thefirst and/or second slot portions 131 and 133 of the first hanger barmember 120 in order to couple the hanger members 120 and 160 together ina longitudinally adjustable manner. The head of each retainingprojection is greater in width than the first width 132 of the slotportions 131 and 133, but is smaller than the second width 134. As bestillustrated in FIG. 5, the retaining projections 166, 167 and 168 aredimensioned so as to pass freely under the first and second reinforcingbridges 140 and 142 as the first and second hanger bar members 120 and160 are longitudinally moved relative to each other.

Additional score lines 170 may be provided across the width of thesecond hanger bar member 160. As with the score lines 138, the preciseform and depth may vary widely according to the material strength andthickness of the hanger bar members. For example, the second score line170 may be a straight line formed to a depth of approximately 0.02inches. Since second hanger bar member 160 is of a solid cross-section,unlike the slotted first hanger bar member 120, it is more difficult tobreak along the second score line 170. Therefore, an optional scorewindow or aperture 172 may be provided in the area of the score lines170 in order to facilitate breakage of the second hanger bar member. Asnoted above, the need for such a break aperture may be avoided by usinga score line configuration similar to that for score lines 170.

In the event that it becomes necessary to fit the hanger bar assembly102 into a relatively narrow space, the second hanger bar member 160 maybe broken along any of the second score lines 170. As shown in FIG. 2,breaking the second hanger bar member 160 along the second score line170 removes the end of the hanger bar 160 having the retainingprojections 166, 167 and 168. However, the first and second hanger barmembers 120 and 160 are still adequately retained by the attachment tabs112 formed on the plaster plate 110, as shown in FIG. 8. It is alsopossible to simply bend the first and second hanger bar members 120 and160 as necessary to fit the hanger bar assembly into a narrow space.

Another attachment structure 144 is provided at the second end 164 ofthe second hanger bar member 160. In one form, the attachment structure144 disposed at the second end 164 has the same construction as thefirst attachment structure located at the second end 124 of the firsthanger bar member 120. The elements of such an attachment structure 144have been previously described in connection with the description offirst hanger bar member 120. However, in the embodiment illustratedhere, a gap 151 is formed between the second end 164 and the first wall146 such that a portion of the first hanger bar member 120 can slidebeyond the attachment structure 144 when the hanger bar assembly 102 isin a retracted position.

As mentioned above, the first and second hanger bar members 120 and 160are secured together in a nested manner. In this regard, the firsthanger bar member 120 has a first surface 121 that faces the secondhanger bar 160 when assembled, and a second opposing surface 123. Thesecond hanger bar member 160 includes a third surface 161 which facesaway from the first hanger bar 120 when assembled, and a fourth surface163 which faces the first hanger bar 120. When the first and secondhanger bar members 120 and 160 are connected, the first and fourthsurfaces 121 and 163 are received within each other in a nestingrelationship. The second surface 123 faces outwardly (e.g., away fromthe suspended member 106) and the third surface 161 faces inwardly(e.g., toward the suspended member 106).

As previously noted, the retaining projections 166, 167 and 168 may passfreely through the second width 134 without interference. The largersecond width areas 134 facilitate the assembly of the first and secondhanger bar members 120 and 160. For example, in one method of assembly,the first end 122 of the first hanger bar member 120 is inserted throughthe gap 151 formed between the fourth surface 163 and first wall 146 ofthe second hanger bar member 160. The first hanger bar member 120 isthen slid longitudinally until at least the second width 134 portionformed on the second bridge 142 has cleared the third retainingprojection 168.

The first hanger bar member 120 is then urged toward the second hangerbar member 160 until the first surface 121 of the first hanger barmember 120 is adjacent the fourth surface 163 of the second hanger barmember 160. The third retaining projection 168 is first passed throughthe second width 134 near the second reinforcing bridge 142. The secondhanger bar 160 is then moved back relative to the first hanger barmember 120 in the direction of the first end 122.

The third retaining projection 168 travels in the first width 132 of thesecond slot portion 133. The second and first retaining projections 167and 166 are then inserted through the second width 134 near the secondreinforcing bridge 142. As the second hanger bar member 160 is movedtoward the first end 122, the second and first retaining projections 167and 166 subsequently engage the first width portion 132 of the secondslot portion 133, thereby securing the first and second hanger barmembers 120 and 160.

Once the first and second hanger bar members 120 and 160 are connected,the resulting hanger bar assembly 102 is freely adjustable in alengthwise, or longitudinal, direction. The hanger bar assembly 102 isshown in its fully extended position in FIGS. 4 and 9. FIG. 4 also showsa plaster plate 110 slidably attached to the hanger bar assembly 102 byattachment tabs 112 which are configured to slidably receive andmaintain the first and, second hanger bar members 120 and 160 adjacenteach other.

One advantage of the illustrated configuration is that, as the first andsecond hanger bar members 120 and 160 are moved relative to each other,at least two of the retaining projections 166, 167, and 168 are engagedwithin one of the elongated slot portions 131 and 133. One exception tothis mode of operation occurs when both the first and second projections166 and 167, or all of the projections, have been passed through thesecond width 134 of slot portion 133 proximate the second reinforcingbridge 142. As illustrated in FIG. 5, this capability is provided byarranging the retaining projections 166, 167 and 168 with apredetermined spacing S₁ between adjacent projections. The projectionspacing S₁ is preferably at least slightly larger than the distance S₂between the first width regions 132 of the first and second slotportions 131 and 133, which are separated by the first reinforcingbridge 140. However, configurations are envisioned having fewer thanthree retaining projections.

As illustrated in FIG. 6, a retaining tab 135 is disposed on the firsthanger bar member 120 near the attachment structure 144 on the secondend 124. The retaining tab 135 extends outwardly and downwardly from thefirst hanger bar member 120 opposite the second bridge 142. Theretaining tab 135 slidably engages the first end 162 of the secondhanger bar member 160 as the first retaining projection 166 passes outof the second slot portion 133 of the first hanger bar member 120. Inthis way, the retaining tab 135 maintains the first and second hangerbar members 120 and 160 adjacent to each other as the hanger barassembly 102 is partially retracted.

FIGS. 7A and 7B show the attachments portions 144 of the engaged hangerbar members being slid toward each other. As best seen in FIG. 7B, boththe first and second retaining projections 166 and 167 have exited thesecond slot portion 133, and the first end 162 of the second hanger barmember 160 has been extended beyond the attachment structure 144 of thefirst hanger bar member 120. In this position, the third retainingprojection 168 remains within the second slot portion 133, therebymaintaining the first and second hanger bar members 120 and 160 adjacentone another. FIG. 7B also shows that the gap 151 formed on theattachment structure 144 as it accommodates passage of the retainingprojection 166 and thereby permits the first end 162 of the secondhanger bar member to extend beyond the attachment structure 144.Similarly, the attachment structure 144 of the second hanger bar member160 also allows the first end 122 of the first hanger bar member 120 toextend therebeyond.

FIG. 8 shows the hanger bar assembly 102 in a retracted position whereinthe front ends 122 and 162 of the first and second hanger bar members120 and 160, respectively, extend beyond the attachment structure 144 ofthe other hanger bar member. As well, the first and second score lines138 and 170 also extend beyond the attachment structures 144 such thatportions of each hanger bar member 120 and 160 can be removed while thehanger bar members 120 and 160 are still adjacent each other. Thispermits the overall length of the hanger bar assembly 102 to be reducedwithout having to remove the hanger bar assembly 102 from the plasterframe 110. Once the retaining projections 166, 167 and 168 have beenremoved from the second hanger bar member 160, the first and secondhanger bar members 120 and 160 are held adjacent one another by theopposed attachment tabs 112 on the plaster frame 110.

The cross-sectional details of the hanger bar assembly according to thepresent invention are best illustrated in FIGS. 10-14, which are takenalong the section lines shown in FIG. 9. FIG. 10 shows the first andsecond hanger bar members 120 and 160 in a nested relationship. Aspreviously described and illustrated in FIG. 2, the first hanger barmember 120 has a first surface 121 and a second surface 123. The firstsurface 121 has a generally concave groove 127 disposed along asubstantial portion of the longitudinal length of the first hanger barmember 120. The second surface 123 has a generally convex ridge 129corresponding to the concave groove 127 formed on the first surface 121.The third surface 161 of the second hanger bar member 160 has agenerally concave groove 167 extending along a substantial portion oflongitudinal length of the second hanger bar member 160. The secondhanger bar member 160 further has a generally convex ridge 169 disposedon the fourth surface 163 corresponding to the concave groove 127. Asillustrated in FIG. 10, the generally convex ridge 169 is received inthe generally concave groove 127 in a nested manner.

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the first hanger bar member 120showing the first width 32 of the elongated slot 130. FIG. 11 is across-sectional view of the first hanger bar member 120 showing thesecond width 134 of the elongated slot 130 and just prior to areinforcing formation. FIG. 13 is cross-sectional view of the firsthanger bar member 120 showing a reinforcing formation in an area thatdoes not include any elongated slot 130.

The first and second reinforcing formations 140 and 142 each have agenerally concave reinforcing depression 143 disposed along firstsurface 121 and a generally convex reinforcing protrusion 145 or ridgeformed along the second surface 123. As illustrated for example in FIG.12, the generally concave groove 127 that extends along a substantialportion of the first hanger bar member 120 defines a first plane P₁. Bycomparison, the generally concave reinforcing depressions 143 extendbeyond the plane P₁ and are therefore formed deeper into the firsthanger bar member 120. Similarly, the generally convex ridge 129 thatextends along a substantial portion of the longitudinal length of thefirst hanger bar member 120 defines a second plane P₂. The reinforcingdepression 143 extends beyond plane P₂ so as to project from the surfaceof the first hanger bar member 120 and thereby allow passage ofretaining projections 166, 167 and 168 therethrough.

Various embodiments of the present invention may also include a securingarrangement such as the one illustrated in FIG. 14. The securingarrangement for the hanger bar system fixes the position of the firstand second hanger bar members 120 and 160 to each other, as well asfixes the position of the hanger bar assemblies 102 relative to thesuspended member. As shown in FIG. 14, the plaster plate 110 includesattachment tabs 112 that retain the first and second hanger bars 120 and160. A securing fastener 180, such as a threaded screw, is received in aguide flange member 182. An aperture 184 is provided in the plasterplate 110 to provide access to the securing fastener 180.

As the securing fastener 180 is tightened, it comes into contact with asurface of the second hanger bar member 160. As a result of thiscontact, the first and second hanger bars 120 and 160 come into firmerengagement with each other as well as with the attachment tabs 112.Therefore, this increased contact pressure prevents both the first andsecond hanger bar members 120 and 160 from moving relative to each otherand the hanger bar members 120 and 160 from moving relative to theattachment tabs 112 and the plaster plate 110.

Although various preferred embodiments have been discussed here,numerous other embodiments of the present invention are envisioned. Forexample, the first bar hanger 120 member may include more than onereinforcing bridge 140 spanning the elongated slot 130, with more thantwo slot portions will exist. Similarly, as few as two retainingprojections may be disposed on the second hanger bar member 160. In yetanother variation, the gap 151 may be removed from the attachedstructures 144 where the structures do not extend far enough down so asto impede the passage of the front end of either bar member 120, 160 orthe retaining projections.

It should be emphasized that the embodiments described above, andparticularly any “preferred” embodiments, are merely examples of variousimplementations that have been set forth here to provide a clearunderstanding of various aspects of the invention. One of ordinary skillwill be able to alter many of these embodiments without substantiallydeparting from scope of protection defined solely by the properconstruction of the following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A hanger bar assembly, comprising: a first hanger bar member comprising a first rail comprising a first end, a second end, and a first attachment structure disposed on the first end; a second hanger bar member comprising a second rail comprising a first end, a second end, and a second attachment structure disposed on the first end, the second hanger bar member being adjacent to the first hanger bar member, wherein the first and the second attachment structures each comprise: a first wall coupled to the first end and disposed perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the first rail; a second wall coupled to the first end, wherein the first wall and the second wall of each of the first and the second attachment structures are substantially parallel to one another; and a mounting tab is integrally coupled to a bottom end of the second wall and extending downwardly from the second wall, wherein a gap between the mounting tab and the first wall is sized to slidably receive a portion of a support structure.
 2. The hanger bar assembly of claim 1, wherein the mounting tab of each of the first attachment structure and the second attachment structure comprises a fastener aperture disposed therethrough.
 3. The hanger bar assembly of claim 1, wherein the first wall of each of the first attachment structure and the second attachment structure comprises a second fastener aperture disposed therethrough and wherein the second fastener aperture is disposed on the first wall below the bottom end of the second wall.
 4. The hanger bar assembly of claim 1, wherein the mounting tab of the first attachment structure includes a first protruding catch formed on a lower end of the mounting tab of the first attachment structure and protruding toward the first wall of the first attachment structure.
 5. The hanger bar assembly of claim 4, wherein the first wall of the first attachment structure includes a second protruding catch disposed on the first wall of the first attachment structure substantially across from the first protruding catch, wherein the gap between the mounting tab and the first wall is sized to slidably receive the portion of the support structure above the first catch and the second catch.
 6. The hanger bar assembly of claim 5, wherein the second protruding catch disposed on the first wall of the first attachment structure is integrally formed with the first wall of the first attachment structure.
 7. The hanger bar assembly of claim 1, wherein the first wall comprises a top end and a bottom end and a first fastener aperture disposed between the top end and the bottom end and providing a passageway through the first wall and wherein the second wall comprises a top end, a bottom end, and a second fastener aperture disposed between the top end and the bottom end and providing a passageway through the second wall.
 8. The hanger bar assembly of claim 1, further comprising at least a first stub extending between the first wall and the second wall of the first attachment structure, and a second stub extending between the first wall and the second wall of the second attachment structure, wherein the first and second stubs are configured to maintain separation between their respective first and second walls.
 9. The hanger bar assembly of claim 1, wherein an end portion of the first stub of the first attachment structure is received in a first stub aperture formed through the first wall of the first attachment structure and wherein an end portion of the second stub of the second attachment structure is received in a second stub aperture formed through the first wall of the second attachment structure.
 10. The hanger bar assembly of claim 1, wherein the top end of the first wall of the first attachment structure is coupled to the top end of the second wall of the first attachment structure and wherein the top end of the first wall of the second attachment structure is coupled to the top end of the second wall of the second attachment structure.
 11. A hanger bar assembly comprising: a first hanger bar member comprising a first rail, the first rail comprising a first end, a second end, and a first attachment structure disposed on the first end; and a second hanger bar member comprising a second rail, the second rail comprising a first end, a second end, and a second attachment structure disposed on the first end, wherein the second hanger bar member is adjacent to the first hanger bar member, wherein the first and the second attachment structures each comprise: a first wall coupled to the first end and disposed perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the first rail, the first wall comprising a top end and a bottom end and a first fastener aperture disposed between the top end and the bottom end and providing a first passageway through the first wall; and an attachment tab extending upward from the top end of the first wall, the attachment tab comprising a second fastener aperture disposed through the attachment tab, wherein the second fastener aperture is positioned above the first fastener aperture of the first wall and provides a second passageway through the attachment tab that is parallel with the first passageway. 